Dec 19 (Reuters) - The workers' union representing more

than 10,000 Starbucks ( SBUX ) baristas said its members will

strike at stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle on Friday

morning during the busy holiday season.

Workers United, representing employees at 525 Starbucks ( SBUX )

stores across the United States, said that walkouts are expected

to escalate daily, potentially reaching hundreds of stores

nationwide by Christmas Eve, unless Starbucks ( SBUX ) and the union

finalize a collective bargaining agreement.

The union and Starbucks ( SBUX ) created a "framework" in February to

guide organizing and collective bargaining. Negotiations between

the company and Workers United began in April, based on the

framework, that could also help resolve numerous pending legal

disputes.

"Since the February commitment, the company repeatedly

pledged publicly that it intended to reach contracts by the end

of the year, but it has yet to present workers with a serious

economic proposal", the union said in a statement late on

Thursday.

Starbucks ( SBUX ) did not immediately respond to a request for

comment.

The coffee chain is undergoing a turnaround under its newly

appointed top boss Brian Niccol, who aims to restore "coffee

house culture" by overhauling cafes, adding more comfortable

seating, reducing customer wait-time to less than four minutes,

and simplifying its menu.